A complete restriction of the use of front-mounted bike racks on all public transport buses throughout Canterbury is being implemented from 8.45pm on Friday, 8 November, until further notice.

The restriction has been issued by bus operators across New Zealand following a safety notice from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

NZTA determined that the way some bus models are fitted with bike racks can partially obscure headlights. It sent an alert to all public transport authorities across the country, asking operators to check their buses to see which are affected and to resolve any issues accordingly.

After further evaluation and consideration of the safety notice, bus operators across New Zealand have unanimously agreed to now implement a complete ban until these safety concerns can be addressed due to the compliance and safety risk. This affects Metro buses - its services are delivered by operators contracted by Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury). This decision follows the initial night-time restriction which was put in place on 2 November.

“Bike racks will be disabled, so they cannot be used on our Metro buses,” Environment Canterbury Public Transport operations manager Derek Walsh said.

“We are very disappointed with the situation and understand the significant impacts that this will have on our community. However, we also understand why our operators need to comply with legislation,” he added.

An option for Lyttelton customers, who need to travel through the tunnel with their bikes, is being explored. Further information regarding this will be provided when available.

Staff are working with NZTA and operators to determine the best way to undertake assessments of bike racks.

“As we have said previously, the timeframe for setting the criteria and testing is unknown at present,” Derek said.

“We thank our customers for their continued understanding as we navigate this additional restriction. Our staff and drivers will be doing their best to let affected customers know,” he added.

Customers can check this webpage for updates, as well as Metro’s Facebook page.

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